Roadwar 2000
Encyclopedia
Roadwar 2000, sometimes referred to as Roadwar 2K, is a 1986 computer game published
by Strategic Simulations, Inc.
. It is a turn-based strategy game
set in a post-apocalyptic future which greatly resembles the world portrayed in the Mad Max
movie
series.
group unleashes a deadly virus
on the United States
, leading to its collapse. Various vigilante
and survivalist
groups spring up in the aftermath and car
s become the primary form of transportation and combat.
The player starts off as sort of a scavenger and attempts to build up an army
capable of making crossings between cities on highway
s, which have become littered with hordes of mutant
s, cannibals and gang
s who love nothing more than killing those foolish enough to cross their paths.
Winning enough battles and gathering a sizable army may bring the player's character to attention of the ailing US government, who will recruit the player to find eight missing scientist
s, America's only hope to finding a cure for the disease. The player must bring them back to a secret base. Along the way, the player must loot cities and scavenge for needed supplies and munitions.
The game calculates and displays detailed statistic
s during combat encounters which, not surprisingly, occur fairly often. While these text messages were displayed in simple text on the early versions of the game, the Amiga and Atari ST versions accompany these battles with digitized sound.
in 1986. In 1987, it was ported
to the Amiga
, Atari ST
, Apple IIGS
and DOS
. The Amiga, Atari ST and Apple IIGS versions, developed by Westwood Associates
, sported digital sound effects and higher-quality graphics than the previous versions.
#118 by Hartley and Patricia Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers stated that "Roadwar 2000 is a great offering and is easily enjoyed by players who have fantasy role-playing backgrounds because you do, indeed, control the shots for your
crew." In a subsequent column, the reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
, is graphically almost identical to its predecessor. Terrorists have devastated one city and are threatening to blow up the entire continent
. It is up to the player to stop them.
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc.
Strategic Simulations, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher with over 100 titles to its credit since its founding in 1979. It was especially noted for its numerous wargames, its official computer game adaptations of Dungeons & Dragons, and for the groundbreaking Panzer General...
. It is a turn-based strategy game
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
set in a post-apocalyptic future which greatly resembles the world portrayed in the Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
series.
Description
In 1999, a terroristTerrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
group unleashes a deadly virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, leading to its collapse. Various vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
and survivalist
Survivalism
Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order...
groups spring up in the aftermath and car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s become the primary form of transportation and combat.
The player starts off as sort of a scavenger and attempts to build up an army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
capable of making crossings between cities on highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s, which have become littered with hordes of mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
s, cannibals and gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
s who love nothing more than killing those foolish enough to cross their paths.
Winning enough battles and gathering a sizable army may bring the player's character to attention of the ailing US government, who will recruit the player to find eight missing scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s, America's only hope to finding a cure for the disease. The player must bring them back to a secret base. Along the way, the player must loot cities and scavenge for needed supplies and munitions.
The game calculates and displays detailed statistic
Statistic
A statistic is a single measure of some attribute of a sample . It is calculated by applying a function to the values of the items comprising the sample which are known together as a set of data.More formally, statistical theory defines a statistic as a function of a sample where the function...
s during combat encounters which, not surprisingly, occur fairly often. While these text messages were displayed in simple text on the early versions of the game, the Amiga and Atari ST versions accompany these battles with digitized sound.
Platforms
Roadwar 2000 was originally released for the Apple II and Commodore 64Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
in 1986. In 1987, it was ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Apple IIGS
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
and DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
. The Amiga, Atari ST and Apple IIGS versions, developed by Westwood Associates
Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios was a computer and video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in as Westwood Associates, and renamed to Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Interactive in...
, sported digital sound effects and higher-quality graphics than the previous versions.
Reception
The game was reviewed in 1987 in DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#118 by Hartley and Patricia Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers stated that "Roadwar 2000 is a great offering and is easily enjoyed by players who have fantasy role-playing backgrounds because you do, indeed, control the shots for your
crew." In a subsequent column, the reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
Sequel
Roadwar 2000 was followed by Roadwar Europa in 1987. It was developed for the same platforms as R2000. This game, set in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, is graphically almost identical to its predecessor. Terrorists have devastated one city and are threatening to blow up the entire continent
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
. It is up to the player to stop them.
External links
- Roadwar 2000 at MobyGames
- Roadwar 2000 at GameSpy